The St Kitts Tourism Authority was in Toronto Tuesday, shining a light on the many changes happening on the island and showcasing the culinary options they have to offer. While the island still offers the beautiful scenery and laid-back life travelers love, it’s also getting a bit of a luxury re-vamp, with big hotel development underway.

We’re almost having a re-birth right now,” Paul Minich, Marketing Consultant, tells TravelPulse Canada. “It was a very familiar name if you went back 20 or 30 years ago and we talk to a lot of travelers who remember Jack Tar from years gone by. And in a sense, St. Kitts went quiet in terms of marketing and such and you’ll see we’re back. There are very exciting hotel properties that are just opening or about to open and with that you’ll see an emerging luxury destination.”

Recently opened in November, the first Park Hyatt in the Caribbean, located in the Christophe Harbour development, boasts sandy beaches and views of the island of Nevis. CNN recently ranked it first on a list of the best new hotels and resorts opening in the Caribbean.

The Six Senses St. Kitts will be developed on the western side of the island near the capital city Basseterre, the International Airport (SKB), Sandy Point Town and Brimstone Hill, an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Rounding out the influx of luxury hotel development on the island, The Ritz-Carlton St. Kitts is also slated to open in 2021.

“All of a sudden we’ve got this cluster of 4 to 5 star accommodations that are redefining what St Kitts as a destination is. Which tied into the reason for today’s event, also means a great restaurant environment naturally follows.”

Members of the travel industry learned to cook the culinary delights of St Kitts Tuesday afternoon.

Minich says the island is perfect for those suffering from what he calls, “all-inclusive fatigue.” Travellers are looking for something different when they visit St Kitts. Which apparently a lot of us are doing – load factor with Air Canada Vacations is through the roof, so much they’re now offering 6 month direct service (November to April) to meet the growing Canadian demand. In the last 4-5 years, Air Canada has been flying larger aircraft and increasing load factors and now increasing rotation, which is a strong indication demand is moving forward. Numbers of Canadians on the American Airlines route via Miami are also increasing.

“Travel agents are very interested in promoting the destination and learning about what’s new and changing. With all the properties we’re working with, we’ll be looking at doing some FAM trips in 2019,” Minich concluded.